The Prince of the Leaves
by PumpkinSparks8616
Summary: He was His Guardian, his friend, his love. Legolas has protected Aragorn since he was Estel. He has watched the boy grow into a man, a man who made his heart clench at the sight of him. They can't ever be together, right? SLASH, possible Mpreg. LxA


Chapter One

Disclaimer- I don't own Lord of the Rings.

**Warnings: Slash, AxL**

"Lassë!" Legolas sighed at the nickname. He did not like it and yet he knew that nothing he did would persuade the twins to stop calling him that. The fact that he was a forest elf didn't help the matter much. Lassë meant leaf and Ellrohir and Elladan never failed to tease him on it, but alas, the name had caught on and now almost everyone would call him it.

"Quel-re _{Good Morning}_ Arwen." He said pleasantly and the radiant elleth smiled at him. She looked every bit the granddaughter of Galadriel, her dark hair however spoke of her Father. Elrond.

"Quel-re Lassë." She smiled and he nodded to her.

"Forever I shall rue the day that your brothers did name me such an atrocity." Legolas said wryly and Arwen laughed, its sound ringing clear through the corridor they were standing in, empty, save for the few servants who were running around trying to finish their work.

"Be that as it may it suits you Mellon-nín _{My Friend}_." She smiled and he rolled his clear blue eyes.

"Pray tell Arwenamin _{My Lady}_. Have you per chance seen the heavens that take the shape of your brothers?" Arwen laughed again.

"The last I saw of their hides they were teaching young Estel in the ways of the bow." She said and Legolas sighed dramatically.

"I must go save him then, for I know that the bow is not their best tool Arwenamin. I fear they will teach him to hold it upside down were I not there to correct them." Legolas said as if put-upon.

"I shall see you then Mellon-Nín at the feast tonight." Legolas nodded smiling brightly at the elleth who swept past him in all of her glory. Legolas continued down the corridor before he reached the main hall. From there he made his way to the training grounds. What he saw there was not what he expected though. Ellrohir and Elladan were standing, talking in the middle of the grounds looking worried.

"What ales you Mellonea_ {Friends}_?" He asked as he approached them. They turned towards him with sheepish faces.

"Well we didn't mean to…"Ellrohir started.

"But you see it wasn't out fault…" Elladan continued.

"Estel seems to have run off." They finished together and Legolas glared at them.

"What did you do?" He demanded.

"Why must you blame us?" Elladan asked his eyes wide but Legolas just narrowed his eyes and Ellrohir sighed.

"We were simply showing him how to wield his bow when he ran off. It might have had something to do with the fact that we were trying to use constructive criticism."The elder of the twins finished rubbing the back of his head sheepishly and Legolas crossed his arms glaring at the pair.

"So you said…" He prodded.

"That he would never be a good archer if he carried on like he was…"

"That he wouldn't be worthy of being our brother if he didn't improve…"

"That"-

Legolas sighed in frustration. These two really could be idiots sometimes.

"Why do you think that that would help him improve in anyway?" He asked.

"Well, that's what Glorfindel used to shout at us while he was teaching us swordsmanship." Ellrohir said shrugging.

"You were already learnt in the ways of the sword when you did that!" Legolas exclaimed. "Tell me, did it not enter your thick skulls that Estel is only six. In our years that would make him only fifty! When you were fifty did Glorfindel used to shout at you?"

"No." The twins muttered sheepishly and Legolas sighed before turning and storming from the training grounds and into the forest where he knew Estel liked to go when upset. He slowed down once he was out of sight and walked slower to the tree that Estel had labelled as 'theirs'. It was the first tree that Legolas had helped him reach the top of by himself.

Once there his keen Elven hearing could hear the soft sobs coming from up the tree and he sighed once again at the idiocy of the twins.

"Estel?" He called softly and there was a rustling sound before the sounds of the sobs stopped. "Estel, please come down."

There was no answer. Legolas pursed his lips before beginning to climb the tree. Once he reached the top branch he sat down besides the young dark haired boy who was huddled against the trunk and refusing to look at him. He sat down beside him on the thick branch and wrapped his arm around the mortal. Estel however flinched and pulled away.

"Estel." Legolas reprimanded gently. "You weren't silly enough to fall for your brothers' teasing were you?"

His answer was a sniff.

"You know they were only being stupid like usual." He continued but stopped when he saw Estel shaking his head.

"They're right." The muffled voice came from within the folded arms.

"Now, don't be silly."  
"I'm not!" Estel cried looking up at Legolas his silver eyes shining with tears and red from those already shed. "I'm not being silly! They were right!"

Legolas frowned.

"You know they didn't mea-"

"It doesn't matter if they didn't mean it! They were right!" Estel cried more tears running down his face.

"You have to know Estel that your brothers are rarely ever right." Legolas said trying to get a smile from the young boy but Estel just shook his head and pressed it back down into his arms.

"They're right! I'll never be a good archer. I can't be their brother if I'm not good enough! You won't like me if I'm not good enough." As soon as the last sentence left Estel's lips Legolas stopped him.

"What did you say?" He asked softly but with a firm tone to his voice.

"Y-You won't li-like me if I'm not good! I'm useless. I'm stupid and I'm slow." Estel paused to sob. "I'll dishonour Ada!"

"Now Estel. Where did you get the idea that I won't like you if you aren't very good at archery?" Legolas asked a quiet fury hidden in his voice but clear in his eyes.

"Da-Dan. He s-said that you wo-won't be p-proud of someone who can't e-even hit the ta-ta-target!" Estel cried before dissolving into sobs once again. Legolas simply pulled the child into his lap and stroked his hair until the sobs faded and Estel was just lying against him silently.

"Now. Let me tell you something." Legolas said firmly, gently lifting Estel's head until the young boy was looking at him with those piercing silver eyes. "I don't care if you are the worst archer or the worst swordsman or anything! I will never not be proud of you. So long as you try I don't care if you fail at everything."

Estel looked down and buried his face into Legolas' shoulder.

"So you're not going to leave?" He whispered and Legolas stiffened. He was going to kill those twins once he got back.

"No Estel." He said softly stroking the young boy's hair. "I won't leave. I promise. I was appointed as your guardian when I came here so I shall stay by your side until you ask me to leave!"

"I'm never going to do that." Estel whispered. "I want Legolas by my side always!"

Legolas smiled softly and hugged Estel once more before releasing him.

"Now, how about we go back home and to the feast where Lady Arwen is waiting." Legolas suggested and Estel nodded. He loved his older sister. She always gave him a sweet when she saw him. Legolas gently let go of Estel and they began to climb back down the tree Legolas going slowly to keep to Estel's pace.

Once they reached the floor Legolas lifted Estel onto his shoulders and carried him back to their home. He took Estel to get changed from his muddied clothes and led him back to the feasting hall, but not before he grabbed his bow and arrows from his room. When they reached the hall the feast had already begun as they were quite late. Estel went to quietly sit at his place beside Arwen and as soon as the twins saw him they stood and backed away from the furious expression on his face.

He drew his bow and let an arrow loose. It caught the shoulder of Ellrohir's tunic and the force of it sent him into the wall where the arrow stuck firmly. He quickly pinned the other shoulder with another arrow before doing the same to Elladan. Once the twins were pinned securely to the wall he made his way to his seat through the silence of the hall and sat opposite Arwen who was watching him with an amused look on her face ignoring the protests of her brothers the feast continued onwards.

"Pray tell Lassë." Arwen said raising an eyebrow at him. "What have my brothers done to deserve such a treatment?"

"They were mean to Estel." Was all Legolas said before turning to Elrond and discussing with the very amused Lord the politics at the moment.

Arwen turned to Estel who was grinning brightly. She shook her head and decided that she would get the full stories from her brothers later, while for now she would simply eat and enjoy the torture of her brothers' cries to be fed if they were not to be released, no one however wanted to risk the wrath of one wood elf with long, blonde hair.

_Review and tell me what you thought!!!!!_


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